Sunday Morning for Sunday 7 August 2022

8:10 Looking at the ABs losing streak and what the future holds for Ian Foster

The greatest rivalry in rugby history was revived this morning, in a game that was seen as being the most vital to win for the All Blacks since playing in the last World Cup.

The Springboks were undefeated at the ground Nelspreet, at the Bombela Stadium, on the high veldt, and were favourites going in, after our losses to Ireland of course. And as you know that favouritism was emphasised by the size of the Springbok victory - 26 points to 10.

8.15 Hammer throw silver medalist 
The women's Hammer Throw final has concluded this morning our time in Birmingham, with Julia Ratcliffe defending her Commonwealth Games title. And she has won Silver. Julia talks to Jim.

8:30 What is life like on struggle street for the young and creative

There's many tales of struggle street for the young and creative.  Research NZ set out to find out more about this past week. Its managing partner  Emanuel Kalafatelis talks to Jim. 

8.37 What life is like as a young struggling creative 

Dominic Hoey is a poet, he's an author and a playwright based in Auckland. His debut novel Iceland was a local bestseller, and long-listed for the Ockham Book Award. 

Dominic was once an MC battle and slam-poetry champion, and he's performed his poetry internationally. He teaches writing. And since 2014 he's also been working with marginalised youth excluded from the education system. He uses art, yoga and meditation to help them with their mental health and to move them into higher education or employment.

8.45 Selina Goddard live from Birmingham 

So much coverage of the Games in Birmingham, but last week we chatted with Selina Goddard our lawn bowler, who has been less visible, literally, because there hasn't been television coverage of some of the games she's played in the women's fours and pairs. Selina told us what music she listens to to get in the right groove...

Selina had won a bronze medal in Fours competition, and she and Katelyn Inch played Malaysia this morning for bronze in the pairs, and they won!

9:06 Mediawatch

Mediawatch looks at how the media reported the cost-of-living crisis payments made for the first time this week - some of which went to expats offshore.  
Also: calls to act on growing concern about malicious misinformation - and the government review that might rein in the online platforms which spread it.

9:37 Daddys choreographer Paul Jukes

The Outta Puff Daddys (OPD), a dance crew from Brighton in the UK have had renewed success online. They've been going for 10 years now, and their fame has gradually spread, rather than busting out, around the world, in small but well-executed steps on social media. They get millions of views now on platforms like TikTok. Only men dance in this crew, and it's changed their lives.

 Outta Puff Daddys choreographer, Paul Jukes talks to Jim. 

10:05 DNA to solve history mysteries!

This coming week the Auckland Libraries and the Genealogical Computing Group are running a Family History Expo, to be shortly followed by the Christchurch City Libraries later this month. Mia Bennett's speaking at them.

Mia's a professional genealogist who lives in Gloucestershire in England. She's been researching her own family history for more than a quarter of a century and she specialises in using DNA to solve her and other peoples' family history mysteries.

10.35 Calling home from Chile 

Calling Home this morning is Julian Dowling in Chile. Chile's going through a time of transition at the moment as liberal elements in society try to change a constitution which was the legacy of the former dictator Augusto Pinochet. 

Julian lives just outside the capital, Santiago. It's inland, although within reach of beaches, and for tourists it's also easily within reach of skiing resorts and some top international vineyards.

After growing up in Palmerston North where both his parents taught at Massey, his own tertiary qualifications after he left Awatapu College came from universities in London and Canada. Julian's dad's from Christchurch originally but his mum's Canadian.

10.45 Ron Howard on 13 Lives 

As a movie director, the former child star Ron Howard has won the most prestigious Academy Awards double of all - Best Picture, Best Director for the film A Beautiful Mind. The films he has helmed, as they say, have been numerous, and successful.  And he's a successful producer; he made the Eminem film 8 Mile.

His new movie, 13 LIVES, shot on the Gold Coast of Australia, re-tells the well-known and sensational true story of the international effort to rescue the coach and boys of the soccer team in Thailand trapped for 17 days in the Tham Luang cave during an unexpected rainstorm. 

11:05 Can alzheimers be triggered by viruses?

Can ALZHEIMERS be triggered by common viruses like shingles and chickenpox. Can contracting herpes simplex, a common type of herpes, when young maybe, result in dementia in later life? No, not with shingles, anyway, said a study reported in the journal Neurology last month, shingles aren't linked with an increased risk of dementia. It seemed conclusive. They looked at the histories of nearly a quarter of a million Dutch people who'd had shingles. No visible effect. 

But the idea that inflammation is linked with later loss of brain function persists. And now, Oxford University scientists, and those from the private research university Tufts, in the US, say that the virus that commonly causes chickenpox and shingles, may activate herpes simplex (HSV), to set in motion the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. 

Professor John Fraser, the Dean of Medical & Health Sciences at Auckland University talks to Jim. 

11.25 The benefits of mindfulness 

In the past few years we've heard a lot of about mindfulness, and the value of being present in the present, and noticing all the little things you can see and hear and feel and smell. And we may also have heard the odd demurring voice about it too, that obsessively pursued it can result in a kind of nihilistic view of the world. Although as we found out when we talked to Wendy Syfret about her book The Sunny Nihilist, you can be happy just noticing a nice Spring morning rather than dwelling on everything you should be doing and the goals you need to chase and the money you need to make.

11.45 The truth about nutrition

Many pieces of research come out about nutrition. Some contradict previous research, others may make claims that are fascinating, but are they right?

We want to scrutinise some new findings under the microscope this morning with Dr Ali Hill from the Human Nutrition department of Otago University. We take notice of these when they're reported in media, especially if the claims are a bit out of the ordinary. Dr Ali Hill speaks to Jim.

11.50 The Edinburgh festival kicks off 

One of the world's great annual events is underway, has been since Friday, the Edinburgh Festival. It includes the Edinburgh Fringe and the famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Kiwi performers go up every year, mostly we hear about our comedians, but the New Zealand Army Band is part of the return of the Tattoo in 2022, and so is soprano Marla Kavanaugh, and two of her close friends. Thankfully they're used to big occasions. Marla talks to Jim.